Method of forming buttons and the like



Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

vuNlTi-:D SfrATEs` RICHARD, LESTER WIZLCOXY,v F WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WATEBBUBY FARREL FOUNDRY .AND MACHINE COMPANY, 0F WATERBURY,

CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

METHOD or FORMING BUTTONS AND THE LIKE.

4Application led March 19, 1923. Serial No. 626,127.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD LESTER WIL- Cox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Forming Buttons and the like, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a new and. improved'method of forming buttonsand the like, and refers more particularly to a type of button that is secured by means other than a thread.

It is the object of this invention, among other things, to produce a button of this character, and -of an endless variety of shapes, from a single -piece of metal, by tools that are simple in their construction l and operation.

To these, and other ends, my invention consists in the method. of forming buttons and the like, substantially as hereinafter 'shown and described.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals of reference designate like parts lin the several figures;

Fig. 1 illustrates end and side Views of a slug or blank from lwhich the button is made;

Fig. 2 illustrates .similar views of the blank 4after an voperation thereon;

Fig. 3 illustrates similar views of the blank after an operation thereon subsequent to the one that produced the blank shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 illustrates similar views of the blank after an operation thereon subsequent o to the one that produced the blank shown in Fig. 3;

Fig.. 5 illustrates'similar views of the blank after an operation thereon subsequent to the one in Fig. 4; d n

Fi 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of onedorm of the tools, in their relative positions afterthe formation of a blank as shown therein and illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary 'sectional view of one form of the tools, in their relative positions after the formation of a blank as shown therein and illustrated in Fig. 3;

lthat produced ,the blank shown In the drawings, 10 designates the blank,

which is preferably cylindrical in form, cut

from a 'Wire rod or length, or it may be of cast metal if desired.

The blank l() is presented to a set of tools substantially as shown in Fig. 6, wherein 11 designates the die having a projection 12. upon the face thereof, 13 a punch having an opening ltherein of substantially the same diameter as the blank, and 14 a supplemental punch mounted therein, having a conical tip 15.. The opposite faces of the die 11 and punch 13 are shaped so that when in the relative positions shown in Fig. 6, the head 17 of the button is formed therebetween upon'one end of the blank, the other end of which forms the shank 20 and projects into the opening in the punch 13. The projection 12 upon the die 11 forms a depression 16 in the head 17 of the button, designed to reduce the amount of pressure required by ythe stabbing punch 18 in the next succeeding operation. The conical tip 15 of the supplemental punch 14 forms a depression 19 in the end of the vshank 20, designed to economize in the amount of material required to form. the button and also forms a guide for centering vthe punch 18. If the metal of which the blank is composed is too hard to' permit the forming of the head 17 in one blow, the

same may be subjected to such additional blows as may be requisite and as is common in ,the heading art. Afterwards the blank, as shown in F ig. 2 and. as formed by the tools, shown in Fig. 6, is transferred tothe die 21 by any desired means and is there held by the fingers 22. When so held, the

punch 18, having the stabbing tip 23 upon one end thereof enters the depression 19 and is projected into the body vof the shank 20 orming an opening 24 which is rounded at its bottom end and slightly flaring at its outer end. During this operation the depression 16 inthe head of the button is removed by reason of the metal flowing under the pressure of the-punch 18 until the head of 'the button is substantially fiat, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7. l

The fiow of the metal while forming the conical depression 19 is such that the outer end of the shank 20 is coned slightly at 25 during the movement of said tip into the blank.

After the stabbing punch is withdrawn a punch 26 with a conical recess 27 therein engages andlcones the shank 20, at which time the outer end of the opening24 is reduced in diameter Without affecting the shape or size of the bottom thereof, which opening is now substantially pear-shaped, as shown in Figs. 4 and 8.

After the Withdrawal of the punch 26 a punch 28 having a supplemental punch 29 engages the end of the shank 20 and by the application of pressure thereon reduces its length. During this operation the inner reduced end 30 of the punch 29 projects into the opening 24 and determines the size and shape thereof at its outer end. The shoulder 31 on this punch formsv a depression 32 in the end of the shank substantially concentric with the opening 24, the inner end of which is now a pocket 33 of very much larger diameter than that of t-he portion 34 leading therefrom.

In the drawing, the head 17 is shown as being cylindrical, but it may be of anydesired shape. This has not heretofore been possible, and in addition thereto, letters, iigures, symbols or the like, may be formed thereon by making provision therefor upon either the die or the punches or both.

The button shown herein is generally attached to a -fabric or the like by a tack or similar device which passes through the fabric and the pointed end of which engages the end of the pocket 33, which acts as an anvil for said point, and turns the same upon itself, substantially filling the pocket and preventing the Withdrawal therefrom.

Having described my. invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The hereindescribed method of making buttons, which resides in first subjecting a blank to endwise pressure to form a head with a central conical depression in its outer face and a shank having a conical depression in its outer end axially alined with the first named depression, then in subjecting the shank: to axial pressure in the direction of the depression in the head to enlarge thel depression of the shank and to remove the depression in the head, 'then in subjecting the shank to lateral pressure to reduce the length thereof and form an opening of pearshape in the shank and in reducing the diameter of the outer end portion of the opening of the shank.

2. The hereindescribed method of making buttons, `Which resides in first subjecting a blank to endwise pressure to form a head with a central depression in its outer face and a shank having a depression in its outer end axially alined with the first named depression, then in subjecting the shank to axial pressure in the direction of the depression in the head to enlarge 'the depression of the shank and to remove the depression in the head, then in subjecting the shank to lateral pressure to reduce the length thereof and to form an opening of pear-shape in the shank and in reducing the diameter of the outer end portion of the opening of the shank.

3. The hereindescribed method of making articles having heads and hollow shanks which resides in first subjecting a blank to endwise pressure to form a head with a central depression in its outer face and a shank having a depression in its outer end axially alined with first named depression and then in subjecting the shank to axial pressure in the directions of the depression in the head to enlarge the depression of the shank and to remove the depression in the head.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto alixed my signature.

RICHARD LESTER VILCOX. 

